The present invention relates generally to golf club heads and, more particularly, to iron-type golf club heads.
The weight distribution of a club head is an important design consideration. Many iron-type golf club heads are configured in what is commonly known as “cavity back” design. Such designs allocate weight about the club's periphery. This peripheral weighting is generally considered to provide greater forgiveness for off-center shots than traditional blade-style club heads. As such, cavity back designs often are preferred by high handicap golfers.
Another, sometimes competing, consideration relates to the location of the club head's center of gravity (CG). A club having a low CG location is often preferred typically by less skilled players, for the increased ease in launching a golf ball. Alternatively, in the hands of an experienced golfer, a club head having a more centrally located CG provides greater control over the flight of the ball. Most club heads have a fixed weight distribution; consequently, very little can be done to tune the weight distribution of a club head to the particular needs of an individual golfer. To accommodate golfers across all skill levels, golf club manufacturers typically must carry several distinct product lines of golf clubs, which can increase production costs.
It should, therefore, be appreciated that there exists a need for an iron-type golf club head having weight allocated about its periphery and a low center of gravity for improved forgiveness for off-center shots, while providing an adaptable weight distribution profile to accommodate requirements of an individual golfer. The present invention fulfills this need and others.